Attorneys represent their clients in a variety of areas. They represent their clients in courts, government agencies, governing bodies and against other parties. Attorneys also help their clients with a variety of transactional work, such as purchasing real estate, preparing estate planning documents, and starting small businesses. Attorneys are required to uphold the law and to protect their clients’ best interests. This is done by effectively communicating with their clients and other parties. It also requires them to be knowledgeable within their practice area. Attorneys spend a large amount of their time researching and writing legal documents.